The Avoyel or Avoyelles were a small Native American tribe who at the time of European contact inhabited land near the mouth of the Red River at its confluence with the Atchafalaya River near present-day Marksville, Louisiana. Also called variously Shi'xkaltī'ni (Stone-Arrow-Point people) in Tunican and Tassenocogoula, Tassenogoula, Toux Enongogoula, and Tasånåk Okla in the Mobilian trade language; all names (including the autonymAvoyel) are said by early French chroniclers to mean either "Flint People" or "People of the Rocks". This is thought to either reflect their active trading of flint for tools from local sources on their land in the eponymously named modern Avoyelles Parish or more likely as their status as middlemen in trading flint from Caddoan peoples to their north to the stone deficit Atakapa and Chitimacha peoples of the Gulf Coast.[1][2]
The Avoyel were also known by the French as the petits Taensas (English: Little Taensa), who were mentioned in writings by explorer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville in 1699. However, they are a different group than the NatchezanspeakingTaensa or grand Taensas.[3]
Described by some historians as being a Caddoan group,[6] and by others as a Natchezan member of the Mary Haas' Gulf hypothesis Muskogean Language Macrofamily[1][7] along with the Natchez and Taensa; their true linguistic and ethnic affiliation is somewhat uncertain because no written or spoken version of their language has survived.[citation needed]
At the time of European contact they lived in a number of villages on the Red River in locations near present-day Alexandria and a palisaded village near Marksville. They controlled the river to its confluence with the lower Black River, Upper Atchafalaya River and the Mississippi.[7]
Never numerous, they are recorded by the French as numbering 280 in 1698, and with their population declining markedly after that. They were likely affected by the same drastic decimation as were other native groups, primarily due to new infectious diseases unwittingly carried by Europeans to which they had no acquired immunity. By 1805 the Avoyel were said to number only two or three women. The Avoyel survivors were believed to have been absorbed by marriage into the neighboring Tunica, Ofo, and Biloxi peoples who had moved to the area sometime in the late 1780s or 1790s because of encroachment by Euro-Americans at their previous locations.[6][8][9][10]
^ abSwanton, John R. (1911). Indian Tribes of the Lower Mississippi Valley and Adjacent Coast of the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 272–274. ISBN978-1332017836.
^David G. Anderson; Steven D. Smith, eds. (2003). Archaeology, History, and Predictive Modeling: Research at Fort Polk, 1972-2002. University of Alabama Press. p. 396. ISBN978-0817312718.
^Hodge, Frederick Webb (1910). Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico N-Z. Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology. pp. 668–669.
^Kaufman, David V. (2014-05-30). The Lower Mississippi Valley as a Language Area(PDF) (PhD). University of Kansas. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
^ abHodge, Frederick Webb (1911). Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico Part 1. Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology. p. 118. ASIN B009QMIT10.
^ abKniffen, Fred B.; Gregory, Hiram F.; Stokes, George A. (1994). The Historic Indian Tribes of Louisiana: From 1542 to the Present Louisiana. LSU Press. pp. 48–49. ISBN9780807119631.
^. Louisiana Archaeological Survey and Antiquities Commission. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
^"Tunica Language Project : A collaboration of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and Tulane University". Tulane University. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
avoyel, were, small, native, american, tribe, time, european, contact, inhabited, land, near, mouth, river, confluence, with, atchafalaya, river, near, present, marksville, louisiana, also, called, variously, xkaltī, stone, arrow, point, people, tunican, tasse. The Avoyel or Avoyelles were a small Native American tribe who at the time of European contact inhabited land near the mouth of the Red River at its confluence with the Atchafalaya River near present day Marksville Louisiana Also called variously Shi xkalti ni Stone Arrow Point people in Tunican and Tassenocogoula Tassenogoula Toux Enongogoula and Tasanak Okla in the Mobilian trade language all names including the autonym Avoyel are said by early French chroniclers to mean either Flint People or People of the Rocks This is thought to either reflect their active trading of flint for tools from local sources on their land in the eponymously named modern Avoyelles Parish or more likely as their status as middlemen in trading flint from Caddoan peoples to their north to the stone deficit Atakapa and Chitimacha peoples of the Gulf Coast 1 2 AvoyelTotal populationExtinct as a tribeRegions with significant populationsLouisianaLanguageshistorically Avoyel Natchez Mobilian trade jargonReligionNative tribal religionThe Avoyel were also known by the French as the petits Taensas English Little Taensa who were mentioned in writings by explorer Pierre Le Moyne d Iberville in 1699 However they are a different group than the Natchezan speaking Taensa or grand Taensas 3 Contents 1 Language 2 History 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksLanguage editThe Avoyel language may have 4 been related to the Natchez language 5 AvoyelRegionLouisianaExtinct date missing Language familyunclassifiedLanguage codesISO 639 3None mis Linguist ListGlottologNoneHistory editDescribed by some historians as being a Caddoan group 6 and by others as a Natchezan member of the Mary Haas Gulf hypothesis Muskogean Language Macrofamily 1 7 along with the Natchez and Taensa their true linguistic and ethnic affiliation is somewhat uncertain because no written or spoken version of their language has survived citation needed At the time of European contact they lived in a number of villages on the Red River in locations near present day Alexandria and a palisaded village near Marksville They controlled the river to its confluence with the lower Black River Upper Atchafalaya River and the Mississippi 7 Never numerous they are recorded by the French as numbering 280 in 1698 and with their population declining markedly after that They were likely affected by the same drastic decimation as were other native groups primarily due to new infectious diseases unwittingly carried by Europeans to which they had no acquired immunity By 1805 the Avoyel were said to number only two or three women The Avoyel survivors were believed to have been absorbed by marriage into the neighboring Tunica Ofo and Biloxi peoples who had moved to the area sometime in the late 1780s or 1790s because of encroachment by Euro Americans at their previous locations 6 8 9 10 See also editTunica BiloxiReferences edit a b Swanton John R 1911 Indian Tribes of the Lower Mississippi Valley and Adjacent Coast of the Gulf of Mexico U S Government Printing Office pp 272 274 ISBN 978 1332017836 David G Anderson Steven D Smith eds 2003 Archaeology History and Predictive Modeling Research at Fort Polk 1972 2002 University of Alabama Press p 396 ISBN 978 0817312718 Hodge Frederick Webb 1910 Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico N Z Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology pp 668 669 Kaufman David V 2014 05 30 The Lower Mississippi Valley as a Language Area PDF PhD University of Kansas Retrieved 2023 02 08 Kniffen Fred B Gregory Hiram F Stokes George A 1994 Historic Indian Tribes of Louisiana From 1542 to the Present Baton Rouge LA Louisiana State University Press p 77 ISBN 978 0 8071 1963 1 OCLC 913650946 a b Hodge Frederick Webb 1911 Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico Part 1 Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology p 118 ASIN B009QMIT10 a b Kniffen Fred B Gregory Hiram F Stokes George A 1994 The Historic Indian Tribes of Louisiana From 1542 to the Present Louisiana LSU Press pp 48 49 ISBN 9780807119631 Tunica Tribe 1680 Present KnowLouisiana Retrieved 2018 01 23 On the Tunica Trail Marksville Louisiana Archaeological Survey and Antiquities Commission Archived from the original on 2016 03 03 Retrieved 2018 01 23 Tunica Language Project A collaboration of the Tunica Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and Tulane University Tulane University 6 November 2014 Retrieved 2018 01 23 External links editThe Avoyel TaensaTribe Nation of Louisiana Inc nbsp This article relating to the Indigenous peoples of North America is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Avoyel amp oldid 1217481278, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
